Brand.—You will deprive me of my rightful inheritance, and give up all your dominions to Thord! Then will I rather fight for them until I fall.
Broddi.—Thord may think he has so much to settle with us that we could not endure the punishments he would inflict upon us—that is, if we had any desire to do so.
Einar.—If all dominions were given up to Thord he would treat us well.
Botolf.—And then there would be peace on earth and good-will among men.
Thorolf.—In Thord's Hall all we, your men, would have to sit upon the lower bench. His men whom we have pursued, wounded, stripped of their clothes, and beaten whenever we engaged them, they would take revenge on us, under cover of him. All of us desire but one of two things, to do battle until we gain peace, or else, to fall with such renown as is granted us.
Asbjorn.—We will follow no other man whilst you live.
The followers of Kolbein.—No, no other man!
Kolbein.—Then your other choice is that all yeomen at their own expense guard in four parties the frontier during the remainder of winter. The first will have to be on the Skagafirth, to guard the road over the Kjol and the ways leading from Storasand. The second guard will have to be in Vididale, Vatnsdale, and Nupsdale to watch the paths over the Grimstungu-heath, and the one over Tvidægra-heath. The third and fourth guards will have to be in Midfirth and Hrutafirth, and to protect the ways along the Holtavordu-heath, and those from the Dales and Strands. When the sea is safe two light-sailing vessels will have to be sent around the Skaw to reconnoitre the sea-way toward the west.
Broddi.—Well, you have thought out everything, brother-in-law; to me this plan of war seems in every regard the best.
Thorolf.—If it is followed, Thord will never return west alive over the Blanda River, should he attack us.